


Impatient

by deadhuntress



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 5+1 Things, Adoption, Alternate Universe, Angst for like a second, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, M/M, Mild Smut, Pining, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Time Skips, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-14 08:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9170593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadhuntress/pseuds/deadhuntress
Summary: Five times Dean is impatient and one time Castiel is too.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the [Supernatural Prompt Challenge](http://supernaturalpromptchallenge.tumblr.com/) for January 2017.  
> Theme: Emotions  
> Prompt: Patience

**I.**

“C’mon, Charlie, I’ll race ya!”

Dean took off from his front porch as soon as his mom had placed a quick kiss to the top of his head, running through their yard toward the street corner as fast as he could. He was almost there when he turned to see if Charlie Bradbury, his next-door neighbor and best friend since they were toddlers, was catching up. She was one of the fastest runners in their grade and even with his head start, she wouldn’t have much trouble beating him. Charlie was still several feet behind him though, and Dean had just turned forward again when he hit something – hard.

Dean fell to the ground with a thump, wincing at the sharp pain in his backside. He heard his mom call to him, asking if he was okay, but he was distracted by what he’d run into – or rather, _who_. Because there, splayed out on the ground in front of him, was a dark-haired boy he’d never seen before, wiping grass off his hands and reaching over to pick up the book he’d apparently dropped.

“Who are you?” Dean asked curiously.

The boy turned his gaze to Dean, who was distracted for a second by his eyes – which were brilliantly, brightly blue. “I’m Castiel,” the boy said, climbing to his feet. He held out a hand to pull Dean up just as Charlie, Dean’s mom, and another woman Dean had never seen before reached them.

“Are you two all right?” Mary asked the boys, swiping a bit of dirt from Dean’s arm.

“We’re fine,” Dean said, picking up his backpack from where it had fallen behind him. “Sorry I ran into you,” he said to Castiel, who gave him an easy smile back.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I wasn’t looking anyway.”

“This is why you shouldn’t read while you walk, Castiel,” the other woman admonished, but her tone was more amused than anything.

“And you, Dean,” Mary said, “need to remember that not everything is a race.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I _know_ , mom,” he said.

Both women laughed and Dean’s mom extended her hand to the other woman. “I’m Mary,” she said. “Winchester. You must be our new neighbor.”

“Naomi Novak,” the woman replied, giving Dean’s mom a firm handshake. “And yes, we just moved in last week. Barely had time to get Castiel registered for school. He’s starting fourth grade.”

“Oh, well Dean and Charlie are in fourth grade too,” Dean’s mom replied with a friendly smile. “Maybe they’re in the same class.”

“Me and Charlie are in Ms. Moseley’s class,” Dean piped up. “I heard she’s really nice.”

“I’m in her class too,” Castiel said, giving Dean a small smile.

Dean grinned. “Maybe we’ll sit next to each other.”

“I’d like that,” Castiel said.

Just then, the school bus pulled up to the stop sign at the corner. After a quick goodbye to the mothers, Dean grabbed Charlie’s hand on one side and Castiel’s on the other and led them to the open doors. He plopped down into a seat near the middle of the bus and was quickly joined by Charlie, while Castiel sat in the seat behind them.

“What’cha reading?” Dean asked, twisting around in his seat.

Castiel held up his book. “ _The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe_ ,” he said. “I’m reading all of the Chronicles of Narnia.”

“I love those books!” Charlie exclaimed. “I got Dean to read them last year.”

“Yeah, they’re great,” Dean agreed. “And that one’s my favorite.”

The three of them spent the rest of the bus ride talking happily and from then on, Dean’s eagerness to get to the bus only increased as it meant he got to see _both_ his best friends.

**II.**

Dean’s eighteenth birthday fell on a Saturday, a fact that had delighted him ever since he’d realized that would be the case. This way, he could sleep in late, eat a leisurely breakfast of his mom’s homemade chocolate chip pancakes (with lots and lots of bacon), and spend the day hanging out with his best friends.

When January 24th rolled around, Dean woke up and grinned, rolling over to check the time. It was only seven o’clock but he knew that at this point he was too excited to go back to sleep, so he carefully climbed out of his bed and tiptoed to the closet, making sure not to disturb the sleeping forms – one in his bed and another on the floor – as he grabbed a clean shirt and jeans.

After a quick pit-stop to the bathroom, Dean snuck back into his room and tossed his pajamas into his closet. He turned around, about to grab his phone and head downstairs, but before he could take a step, two voices whispered a simultaneous, and enthusiastic, “Happy birthday!” – which definitely did _not_ cause him to jump.

“Thought you guys were asleep,” Dean said, hoping they hadn’t seen him (definitely not) startle.

A red-headed figure emerged from the sleeping bag on the floor and a dark-haired one popped up from under the covers of Dean’s bed. “Nope!” Charlie said with a grin.

“You’re not as quiet as you think you are,” Castiel added, earning a snort from Charlie.

“You are so right,” she remarked.

“Funny,” Dean retorted, crossing the room and dropping onto his bed.

“You love me,” Charlie said, climbing onto the bed and wrapping her arms around Dean in a tight hug.

“Nope, not anymore,” Dean said, attempting to break free from her embrace. “You’re dead to me. Both of you.”

“Rude,” Charlie said, letting go of Dean and wrapping her arms around Castiel instead. “Guess me and Cas’ll just have to hang out without you today. So much for your surprise.” She winked and next to her, Castiel grinned.

“More for us then,” he agreed.

Dean frowned at both of them. “Don’t I even get a hint?” he complained. They’d been teasing him with this surprise for _weeks_ and refused to give even one clue as to what it was. Charlie smirked.

“Nope.”

\---

Four hours later, the three of them were driving down the highway in the ’67 Chevy Impala that Dean’s parents had just given to him. Dean had been looking forward to getting the car for years and couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he cruised down the road with his best friends in the back and Led Zeppelin blasting through the speakers. The only thing that would make it more perfect would be to know where exactly he was going.

“You’re gonna get off the highway in half a mile,” Charlie called from her spot behind Dean’s seat. “Turn right on West 27th Street.”

“Can’t you just tell me where you’re taking me?” Dean asked. “At least the street name or something?”

“Why would we do that?” Charlie teased. She’d been smirking all day and if she weren’t Dean’s best friend he would’ve kicked her out of the car by now.

“Be patient, Dean,” Castiel added with his own annoying smirk.

“That’s not really one of his strong suits,” Charlie pointed out, and Castiel nodded.

“True.”

“Fuck you both,” Dean complained, flipping them off over his shoulder. His only response was laughter from the backseat and he sighed as he shifted lanes. They were really very infuriating sometimes.

\---

“Okay, it should be down this street, about a block, I think.”

Dean glanced around curiously as they walked past restaurants and boutiques, hairdressers and hardware stores, before finally stopping in front of… Sweet Dreams Bakery.

“It’s a bakery,” he said, turning to face Charlie and Castiel. He wasn’t complaining exactly (he wasn’t about to turn down handmade baked goods, after all), just confused. There was a bakery not two minutes on foot from their neighborhood that sold excellent fresh pies and pastries. Surely it would have been far easier to go there.

Charlie and Castiel still had matching smirks. “Not just any bakery,” Charlie informed him.

Castiel nodded. “This bakery is known for their unique flavors, like brown sugar potato chip cookies with a Snickers topping and bacon and blueberry pancake cupcakes. And not only that, but today they’re holding a bake-off.” He paused. “A _pie_ bake-off.”

“Pie… bake-off?” Dean said, eyes widening and mouth spreading in a broad grin. He was practically salivating at the thought of all that fresh-baked goodness. “Well then, what are we waiting for?” he said gleefully, yanking open the door and hurrying inside. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of warm dough and sugar, and sighed contentedly. This was a _great_ surprise.

\---

It was early evening by the time Dean, Castiel, and Charlie left the little town and its bakery. Dean was quite proud of the fact that he’d tried every type of pie, as well as a few other specials from the bakery itself, and hummed along happily to the radio as he got back on the highway.

The car was quiet for a few minutes, until Castiel broke the silence. “Was it worth the wait?” he asked, the smirk finally gone and replaced with a hopeful smile.

“Yeah, you assholes, it was,” Dean admitted with a chuckle. He gave them a smile in the rearview mirror. “Thanks,” he said.

“What are best friends for?” Charlie replied.

Dean laughed. “Yeah, yeah.”

\---

Later that night, in the darkness of his room, Dean allowed himself a silent birthday wish, one that he’d been trying to avoid making all day. But now, with Castiel asleep next to him on the bed, letting out little snuffles in his sleep and looking adorably mussed after a raucous pillow-fight earlier in the evening, Dean couldn’t help it.

 _This beautiful boy, forever_ , he thought, then immediately cursed himself. Castiel had never given him any sign that he thought of Dean as anything more than a friend, and Dean wasn’t doing himself any good pining after his best friend. The best thing would be to forget the stolen glances, the accidental touches, and the way Dean’s heart soared when Castiel gave him that special smile, the one he reserved for Dean. _It’s all platonic_ , Dean thought to himself, curling up and squeezing his eyes shut, not that it did any good. The image of Castiel next to him was seared into Dean’s brain.

_He’s just a friend._

**III.**

“Dean?”

Dean sighed and reluctantly turned to face his best friend and roommate. Castiel’s voice was understanding – _too_ understanding – and Dean wanted nothing more than to not have this conversation, especially because he didn’t even have the excuse of drinking too much. He’d barely had one beer at the bar; it was not enough to get him tipsy, let alone drunk.

No, Dean’s excuse fell more along the lines of “You just look so irresistible tonight” and “I’ve been wanting you since high school” and “How was I _supposed_ to react to a cute guy flirting with you all night?”

Not that he wanted to admit that. So, onto his first tactic of choice: play dumb.

“Yeah, Cas?” The wall by the door sure was dirty, Dean thought, as he stared at it in an attempt to avoid eye contact with Castiel. They should really clean that. Maybe he should go get a rag and some cl–

“Would you like to explain what just happened?” Castiel asked, ducking into Dean’s line of vision. He was suddenly very close to Dean.

 _Would you accept “No, not really?”_ Dean thought. Instead of saying that – or something worse – he decided to make a noncommittal noise. _There_ , Dean thought. _That could mean anything._

Castiel’s sigh was easily audible. “Please, Dean,” he said softly. “What happened?”

Dean closed his eyes and let out a reluctant sigh. Finally, he took a deep breath, knowing that Castiel deserved an explanation. “I – I was jealous,” he admitted. “That guy – he was making you laugh, and telling you all about himself… You were looking at him like he hung the moon or something…” Dean swallowed, and then, in a whisper, “I wanted it to be me.”

“Dean…” Castiel said slowly, his tone giving no indication of how he was reacting. It was too late for Dean though; now that he’d started talking, he couldn’t stop.

“You just – you looked so good tonight,” Dean said. “You look good all the damn time but tonight it just – and that guy… shit, he was hot, and he was funny and smart. How could I compete?” Dean’s eyes were still closed and he squeezed them even more tightly shut. “I’ve wanted you for so long, Cas, since high school,” he said softly. “I think… I think I might be in love with you.”

Dean felt the hot sting of tears in his eyes, ready to fall as soon as he unclenched them. Castiel had been silent for so long; he was probably trying to figure out how to let Dean down easily. Dean hung his head, pulling his lip between his teeth and biting hard in an effort to fight off the tears.

Suddenly, though, he felt a warm hand curl around his jaw. A soft thumb caressed his cheek and he finally opened his eyes. “Cas–”

“Shh,” Castiel murmured. “Do you trust me, Dean?”

Dean nodded. Castiel’s eyes were wide, earnest.

“I think I’m in love with you too,” Castiel whispered, and then he was kissing Dean. His mouth was covering Dean’s and his lips were soft and his tongue pressed experimentally against Dean’s lips and finally Dean’s body realized what was happening and reciprocated. Instinct took over and he wrapped his arms tightly around Castiel, moving his hands over the strong muscles of his back and sliding down his arms and grasping at the back of Castiel’s neck. He had opened his mouth and Castiel had taken the invitation to explore as his own hands roamed over Dean’s back, his chest, his ass, anywhere he could reach.

“God, I’ve wanted you – so long, Cas, so long.” Dean’s hands slipped under Castiel’s sweater, tracing over smooth skin and soft hairs, lifting the material until Castiel broke the kiss just long enough to let Dean take it off.

“Want you too, Dean,” Castiel murmured into the kiss, his own hands at work unbuttoning Dean’s shirt. Dean let out a huff of arousal as Castiel found one of his nipples and pinched, teasing it lightly until it was a hard nub and then moving on to the other.

“Need you, Cas,” Dean grunted, hands moving lower to undo Castiel’s belt. He was already getting hard in his jeans and the bulge pressed against his thigh told Dean that Castiel was too. Dean had just yanked Castiel’s belt free, had just pulled open the button and zipper of his pants, when Castiel pushed his hands away.

“Wait, Dean,” he murmured.

It took Dean a moment to realize what he’d said and he lifted his head quickly, looking for signs of deception. Cas couldn’t, Cas wouldn’t – the panic on his face must have been evident because Castiel shook his head quickly. “I didn’t change my mind; god no, I couldn’t do that.” He smiled reassuringly and placed a soft kiss to Dean’s lips, surprisingly sweet considering how heated they had just been.

“We just… We have time, Dean,” he said, sounding amused. “We have all night, hopefully much, much longer… I wanna take my time with you,” he murmured. “Is that okay?”

Dean frowned. On the one hand, he loved the sensuality and intimacy of taking the time to explore each other’s bodies, to learn what affected each other… But on the other hand, he had been wanting this since high school. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out.

“Trust me,” Castiel said softly. He placed his hands on either side of Dean’s head and pulled him into a soft kiss. It was a few seconds before Dean realized that Castiel was slowly walking him backwards. “At least let’s move to a bed,” he said.

“Fine,” Dean agreed, grabbing Castiel’s hand and tugging him eagerly towards the closest bedroom, which happened to be his own.

Once in the room, he shrugged off the button down that was still hanging on his arms, though Castiel grabbed his hands before he could do anything about their pants.

“Allow me,” he murmured into Dean’s ear, fingers flitting down to Dean’s belt. He kissed a trail of heated kisses down Dean’s torso as he undid the buckle and button then, ever so slowly, eased the jeans and Dean’s boxers down his legs.

Dean groaned at the release of pressure, and when Castiel took him in his mouth, Dean knew that he was forever ruined for anyone else.

\---

He told Castiel as much later that night, when they were curled comfortably around each other in Dean’s bed, naked and sated.

Castiel smirked proudly at that, but his smile quickly softened. He threaded his fingers into Dean’s hair and pulled him into a gentle kiss.

“Me too.”

**IV.**

Dean frowned as he stared into the mirror, hands fumbling with the bowtie around his neck. He didn’t usually have this much trouble tying one and huffed in annoyance as he yanked it loose for the fifth time.

“Dean, calm down.” Suddenly Charlie appeared in front of him, swatting his hands away and replacing them with her own. In less than a minute, Dean’s bowtie was tied perfectly and centered, and Charlie was smoothing out his crisp tuxedo shirt.

Jo appeared next to her then. “Dean, sweetie,” she said, taking his hands into her own and squeezing gently, “you have to relax. Breathe, okay?”

Dean gave her a dirty look but did as she requested, taking in a deep breath and trying to let it out slowly. It didn’t do much good, though, as his stomach continued to flutter in anticipation.

“I can’t,” he huffed a moment later. “Why can’t we start now?”

The girls chuckled. “Not everyone’s here yet,” Charlie said. “We’ve still got–” she craned her neck to look at the clock “–thirty minutes.”

Dean pulled his hands free from Jo’s and attempted to smooth down his hair. Jo batted his hands away – she’d styled it perfectly after Dean’s shower this morning – and shoved him gently towards the door.

“Take a walk,” she ordered. “You need to burn off some energy.” Dean glared at her but headed toward the door anyway. “And don’t you dare try to get into the choir practice room,” Jo warned as he walked through the doorway. “Mom’s standing guard.”

Dean made a face as he walked but didn’t take a left and head for the stairs. Instead, he made his way down the hallway to his right until he reached a small side-door that led outside. He pushed through and found himself in the side yard of the church, where there were a few wooden benches to sit on. No sooner had Dean made himself comfortable on one than the door opened and his mom walked outside.

“Dean?” she said. “You okay, sweetheart?”

Dean nodded and scooted over to give her room to sit down. “M’fine, mom,” he said.

“You’re tapping your foot a mile a minute,” she pointed out with a chuckle. “You sure nothing’s wrong?”

“Yes,” Dean said. “Just anticipation, I guess. I just wanna be married already.”

Mary put her hand on Dean’s leg, forcing him to keep it still. “That’s a good thing,” she said. “You and Castiel have a strong relationship… Sometimes I feel like you were made for each other.”

Dean leaned into his mom’s side, wordlessly inviting her to wrap an arm around his shoulder. “Thanks, mom,” he said.

\---

Much later that night, once most of the guests had left the reception and Dean and Castiel were heading up to their room, Dean grabbed Castiel’s hips and pressed him to the wall of the elevator, kissing him languidly as Castiel relaxed against the wall.

“You’ve been waiting for this all day, haven’t you?” Castiel murmured against Dean’s lips. He pulled back and grinned. “Mr. Novak.”

Dean smirked. “Mr. Winchester.”

Castiel hummed as Dean leaned in for another kiss. “I like that,” he murmured.

“Me too,” Dean agreed as the elevator _pinged_ and the doors opened. He grabbed Castiel’s hand and dragged his husband – he _loved_ being able to call him that – down the hall toward their room.

“I’m getting the feeling you’re in a hurry,” Castiel teased as Dean fumbled around in his pocket, trying to dig out their room key.

“It’s our first night together as _husbands_ ,” Dean said. “Can’t a guy be excited about getting married?” He managed to get his key out and unlock the door, pulling Castiel inside the room and into his arms.

“Yeah, Dean,” Castiel murmured, pressing his forehead to Dean’s. “He can.”

**V.**

“You know, I really hate it when you keep things a surprise instead of telling me,” Dean complained.

Castiel looked up from the burgers he was cooking and grinned. “Why? It’s so much more fun that way,” he teased.

Dean frowned as Castiel turned back to the stove, where a large tray of homemade French fries were sitting, ready to be served. Dean knew that in the oven was an apple pie that Castiel had made that afternoon and sniffed the air appreciatively.

“You spoil me,” he said, grabbing two clean plates and forks from the dishwasher and setting them on the table, where two cold beers were already sitting.

“Only the best for my husband on his birthday,” Castiel replied, turning away from the stove for a moment, just long enough to give Dean a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, babe,” Dean said, leaning casually against the counter as Castiel carefully plated the burgers and added a handful of fries to each plate.

“Happy birthday, Dean,” Castiel said with a smile, pecking Dean on the lips and handing him a plate.

\---

“Mm, that was delicious,” Dean said contentedly once their plates were clean and the familiar taste of cinnamon and apple lingered in his mouth.

“Thank you,” Castiel replied, pulling Dean in for a comfortable hug.

They stood together quietly in the kitchen for a long moment, until finally Dean broke the silence.

“So what’s my surprise?” Dean felt Castiel’s huff of laughter as much as he heard it.

“You’re very impatient, Dean,” he remarked, though he didn’t sound remotely surprised.

“I’ve been waiting all day,” Dean said. “Don’t make me wait any more.”

“Okay, okay,” Castiel relented. “Come with me.”

Dean followed eagerly as Castiel led him to the living room, where there were a few wrapped packages sitting on the coffee table. Dean plopped down on the sofa and grabbed one – what looked like a wrapped folder or something – but Castiel shook his head and took it from Dean’s hands.

“Save that one for last,” he said.

Dean rolled his eyes but grabbed another – a green bag that was addressed from Charlie – and opened it instead. His eyes lit up when he saw what was inside. “A box set of the Indiana Jones movies!” he exclaimed, turning the box around and examining the back carefully. “She knows me so well,” he added with a grin.

“That generally happens when you’ve been friends since preschool,” Castiel said, chuckling. “She’s very upset that she was called out of town this week. We’ll have to get together next weekend or some other time soon.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Dean agreed as he grabbed another package, this time from his parents.

Finally, all of the packages were open except the one that Castiel had set aside. “Can I open it now?” Dean asked, grinning when Castiel handed it over.

 “Go ahead.”

Dean carefully tore open the paper, revealing an ordinary manila envelope. Curiously, he pulled the tab and opened the flap, then removed the papers inside. He looked down at the first one, a brochure with a smiling family on the cover and **_TFI_** in bolded letters in the top corner.

“Cas…” he said, slowly, turning the brochure over. He knew what _TFI_ stood for: Texas Family Initiative.

“Read this one,” Castiel said, pointing to a letter just behind the brochure.

Dean’s breath caught in his throat as he read the top line. _Mr. Novak and Mr. Winchester_ , it said. _We are pleased to inform you that you have been deemed eligible to adopt a child through our agency and we invite you to begin the next step of the adoption process: the home study._ Dean skimmed through the rest of the paragraph in disbelief as the meaning of the letter slowly sank in.

“We’ve been accepted…” he said softly. “We can adopt!”

When Dean looked up, Castiel was grinning. “That came in the mail yesterday,” he said. “It was everything I could do to wrap it and wait until tonight to give it to you.”

“You little shit,” Dean said, but his tone was fond. “I can’t believe – you and me – we’re gonna be _fathers_.”

“As long as the home study goes well,” Castiel amended. “But yes, it’s very likely that we will be able to adopt a child now.”

Dean set the papers down on the coffee table and leaned in for a kiss. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I couldn’t have asked for a better husband, or father to our child.”

Castiel smiled against Dean’s lips. “I could say the same.”

 

**+1**

For perhaps the first time since they’d started living together, Castiel had woken up before Dean did. When Dean did wake up, he was surprised to find an empty bed and frowned as he rolled over to glance at the alarm clock.

Dean’s frown only deepened when he saw that it read eight-thirty. Castiel was never up before nine on weekends if he could help it, and he really preferred to be in bed until ten or eleven. It only took Dean a few seconds to realize _why_ Castiel was up so early and he was grinning when he made his way downstairs, following the scent of coffee into the kitchen.

“Well, well,” he said as he entered the room. He crossed it quickly and wrapped his arms around his husband’s waist, chin resting on Castiel’s shoulder. “Look who decided to be an early bird,” he teased, pressing a quick kiss to Castiel’s neck.

“Don’t get used to it,” Castiel warned him, resting a hand over Dean’s where it lay across his stomach.

“Who said anything about getting used to it?” Dean questioned. “I was thinking more along the lines of teasing you, because for once in my life, _I_ am not the impatient one.”

“Yes, you are,” Castiel countered. “I’m just impatient too this time.”

“Mhmm,” Dean said. “If you say so.”

“You’re the one who was so on edge last night you couldn’t fall asleep until one in the morning,” Castiel reminded him.

Dean made a face. “Shut up,” he said. “You were awake with me.”

“Fair enough,” Castiel said. They were silent for a moment, until Castiel finally spoke again. “We get to bring home our daughter today,” he said softly. “Maria is finally going to be with us.”

“I know,” Dean said. “I just wanna drive there right now and pick her up.”

“Me too,” Castiel admitted. “It kills me to have to wait until noon.”

“Yeah,” Dean agreed. “Think of it this way, though. All of our efforts have paid off. We’re about to be parents.”

“We are,” Castiel affirmed. He turned around, wrapping his arms around Dean’s neck and pulling him into a gentle kiss. “Congratulations, Mr. Novak.”

Dean grinned. “Congratulations, Mr. Winchester.”

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry for the recent lack of updates - I have been swamped with school stuff and haven't had time to write, let alone publish anything.
> 
> Come find me on Tumblr at [thetideseternaltune](http://thetideseternaltune.tumblr.com/) (main blog) or [hunterangelkisses](http://hunterangelkisses.tumblr.com/) (SPN sideblog)!


End file.
